Manager Mikel Arteta faces the risk of departure after Arsenal faltered in the Premier League title race.

Manchester United legend Bryan Robson states that Manager Mikel Arteta is facing mounting pressure after Arsenal's defeat to Man City, which threatens "The Gunners" with the prospect of another underwhelming Premier League campaign.

The defeat reduced Arsenal's advantage at the top of the Premier League table to just three points, while Pep Guardiola's team still has one match in hand, raising concerns that Arsenal might once again lose the title after having controlled the race for most of the season.

Erling Haaland remained a constant threat to the North London side's defense. The Norwegian striker scored the decisive goal in the 70th minute, securing Man City's crucial three points in the top-tier clash. Earlier, Rayan Cherki opened the scoring for the hosts at Etihad Stadium, before Kai Havertz equalized. However, the German midfielder later missed a golden opportunity at the end of the match by heading over the bar from a favorable position.

This defeat leaves the gap between Arsenal and Man City at only three points. If Man City defeats Burnley in their midweek postponed match, Guardiola's squad will reclaim the top spot for the first time since mid-August. This puts Arsenal in an extremely difficult position during the season's final stretch.

Regarding Arteta's future, former Premier League manager Bryan Robson, who led Middlesbrough and West Brom, suggests that Arsenal's board might have to make an unwanted decision if the team ends up without any trophies. He notes that Arsenal has invested heavily in building the squad and possesses many promising young players who have matured in recent years, making title expectations entirely reasonable.

Robson said: Arsenal built their squad with significant spending early in the season, plus young players developing well. Therefore, it's hard to predict what the board is thinking. But Mikel Arteta will certainly face pressure, as it has been quite a long time since their last championship. If he fails to win any trophy this season, the pressure will significantly increase.

In the last three seasons, Arsenal has been a genuine contender for the Premier League title. However, in two of those seasons, the London club lost its leading advantage. Three years after their collapse in the title race, Arsenal needs to quickly regain form and hope for Man City to slip up if they want to avoid repeating the same scenario.

Pressure on Arteta will intensify sharply if Arsenal cannot finish successfully, especially since they led the table for most of the season. The prospect of ending the season without any trophies would be unacceptable, particularly when just weeks ago Arsenal was considered a contender for a quadruple.

Up to now, the only titles Arteta has won with Arsenal are the FA Cup in 2019 and two Community Shields in 2020 and 2023. Nevertheless, the Spanish strategist remains optimistic after the defeat to Man City. He affirmed his continued belief in the team and emphasized that the title race is still completely open, with Arsenal holding a three-point advantage and five matches ahead.